Garment hanger support



y 7, 1957 A. A. LEEBOW 2,791,335

' GARMENT HANGER SUPPORT Filed April 18, 1952 IN V EN TOR. ,4; are 7' 4:53am

BY WQM ITTORMEX Patented May 7, 1957 ftice GARMENT HANGER SUPPORT Albert A. Leebow, East Rockaway, N. Y., assignor to Berkeley Industries, Jersey City, N. 1., a corporation of New Jersey Application April 18, 1952, Serial No. 282,985

6 Claims. or. 211-113 The present invention relates generally to garment hanger supports; that is, to devices for supporting thereon a plurality of garment hangers for storage, display or the like purposes. In particular, the present invention relates to supports for hangers for such garments as shirts, blouses, light-material jackets, and other articles of wearing apparel. More particularly, the present invention relates to a support for a plurality of garment hangers wherein the individual garment hangers are readily removable from the body of the device, individually or collectively.

The main object of the present invention, therefore, is the provision of a support structure for a plurality of garment hangers, wherein the individual garment hangers may be readily removed from the structure, individually or collectively.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a support for a plurality of garment hangers comprising a body member having a plurality of sockets for releasably retaining in each thereof a garment hanger.

Still another object of the present invention is the provision of a support for a plurality of garment hangers comprising a body member having a plurality of sockets for receiving a garment hanger in each thereof, and a lock strip slidably associated with the body for closing the socket mouths to trap the hangers therewithin or for opening the sockets to permit removal of the hangers therefrom as desired.

Still another object of the present invention is the provision of a support for a plurality of garment hangers comprising a thin, fiat and elongated body member having a plurality of spaced apart sockets in said body, a lock strip having a plurality of recesses normally out of alignment with the sockets to retain a garment hanger in each of the sockets, and means to shift the lock strip and the recesses therein into alignment with the sockets in the body of the device, whereby any one or more of the garment hangers may be removed, as desired.

Other, further and more specific objects of the invention will in part be obvious and in part specifically pointed out in the following description of an illustrative embodiment thereof.

In the drawings annxed hereto and forming a part hereof,

Figure l is a side elevational view of one form of device constructed according to and embodying the present invention;

Figure 2 is a front elevational view thereof;

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail of the bottom portion of the device;

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevational view of the device viewed in the direction of the arrow 4; and

Figure 5 is an enlarged section on the line 5-5 of Figure 3.

The device of the present invention is characterized by a body member formed of a thin, fiat, elongated narrow strip of suitable metallic material, and an elongated lock strip associated with the body in such manner as to permit relative 'slidability lengthwise thereof, the body having sockets therein and'the lock stnip having recesses therein, means normally retaining the lock strip in such relation to the'body that the sockets and recesses are oif-set with respect to each other so as to bafiie the openings into the sockets and trap garment hangers within the sockets, and means to shift'the lock strip relative to the body to align the recesses with the sockets to permit the garment hangers to be removed from the sockets and readily reinserted thereinto.

Referring now to the drawings, the garment hanger sup port according to the present invention comprises in part a holder definedby a relatively thin, fiat, narrow and elongated body portion 10 of suitable metallic material, the ends of which are bent over at right angles to the same side of the body to form upper and lower platforms 12 and 14 respectively; impart a suspension hook 16 provided with a short foot component 18 at the bottom thereof extended transversely of the length of hook 16 into opposition to upper platform 12 and rotatably secured thereto by a suitable rivet 20; in part an elongated lock strip of thin, flat stock of suitable metallic material disposed flatly against body 10, the lower end of which strip 22 is bent over to form a platform extended in the same direction as platform 14 and spaced from and opposed thereto; in part an expansion coil spring 15 trapped between platforms 1-4 and 24; in part a plurality of such retainers as rivets 23, 28 connecting body 12 and lock strip 22 in sideby-side fiat-lying relationship while permitting relative lengthwise movement thereof; and in part a plurality of garment hangers 38, 30. While, within the scope of'the present invention the garment hangers 30, 30 may be of any type or material, it is necessary that each thereof be provided with a narrow eye portion 31, or with a narrow book, as well as with shoulders 33, 33, for reasons to be developed below. Furthermore, the eye portion 31 is provided with a cross piece 31' depending shank which determinates in laterally extending arms which are joined to the inner ends of the shoulder 33 by downwardly outwardly inclined legs. The lower inner face of the eye portion 31 is defined by an abutment 32 which bears against the confronting ends of the holder 10 when the hanger 30 is in use as will be hereinafter described.

Portions of body 10 are cut, stamped out or otherwise removed in from front edge 42 thereof to create a plurality of uniformly spaced apart open-mouthed sockets 44, 44 and a locating pin or finger 50 associated with each of said sockets 44, for the reception of hangers 30, 30. The path of each socket 44 angles downwardly initially into body 10 from front edge 42 thereof as indicated at 46 and then downwardly in a straight line lengthwise of body 10, as indicated at 48, defining thereby an angled path, the material of body 10 between path component 48 and front edge 42 forming an integral pin or finger 50 opposite and equal in length to socket component 48. The mouth of or opening into each socket is the distance between the upper tip of pin or finger 50 and the upper margin of cut-out portion 46.

Portions of lock strip 22 are cut, stamped out or otherwise removed therefrom at equally uniformly spaced-apart distances in from front edge 52 thereof to create widemouthed generally V-shaped recesses 54, 54. The upper edge of each recess 54 angles downwardly into the body of lock strip 22 as at 60 at the same inclination as socket path component 46. The lower part angles upwardly thereinto as at 62. It is to be noted that the front of each recess 54 is much wider than the opening into each of recesses 44, 44.

A plurality of circular openings 70, 70 are provided through body It spaced between recesses 44, 44. A similar plurality of elongated and lengthwise extending slots 72,

72 are provided through lock strip 22, similarly spaced between recesses 54, 54 at distances equal to the spacings between openings 70, 70. Thus, when body and lock strip 22 are laid together flatly in side-by-side relationship, openings 70, 70 in body 10 are aligned with slots 72, 72 in lock strip 22 and the members held together in such relationship by rivets 28 passing through body 10 and lock strip 22 sufi'iciently loosely to permit relative lengthwise slidabi lity of said members 10, 22 with respect to each other to the extent of the length of slots 72, 72; this relatively slidability being important in the proper operation of the device of the present invention.

An integral stud 74 is bent down from the center of platform 14, and a similarly sized and shaped integral stud 76 is bent upwards from the center of platform 24, studs 74, 76 opposing each other. Expansion coil spring is trapped between platforms 14, 24, centered about studs 74, 76. In response to its normal biasing, spring 15 tends to spread platforms 14 and 24 apart. The sockets in body 10 are so spaced along the length thereof with respect to the spacing between recesses 54, 54 in lock strip 22 that in the position of Figures 1 and 2, when platforms 14, 24 are spread apart to the maximum distance permitted by rivets 28, 28, portions 55, 55 of lock strip 22 immediately adjacent the upper edges of recesses 54, 54 lie across the entrances into sockets 44, 44 bafiiing same. It is to be noted that portions 55, 55 are of such size as to baffle the openings into the mouths of the sockets 44, 44 and substantially equal in length to slots 72, 72, since the latter determine the extent of relative movement of lock strip 22 with respect to body 10. When platforms 14, 24 are manually or otherwise urged towards each other, against the normal biasing of spring 15, the upper margins of the mouths of recesses 54, 54 are brought into alignment with the openings into sockets 44, 44 (see Figure 4), thus permitting eyelet portions 31, 31 of hangers 30 to fit over onto fingers 50, the thickness of the material forming the eyelets or hooks 31, 31 being necessarily less than the width of the openings into the sockets. When pressure against platforms 14, 24 is relaxed, spring 15 spreads same apart, displacing lock strip 22 with respect to body 10 and moving lock portions 55, 55 across the mouths of the sockets, thereby locking against removal any hanger bars within the sockets. When the holder 10 is in a vertically suspended position and the hangers 30 are normally engaged by the holder 10 as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawing, the shoulders 33 of the hangers 30 are positively spaced forwardly of the support 10 by reason of the lower inner faces of the eye portions 31, which define abutments, bearing against the confronting edge of the holder 10 thereby to limit the movement of the hangers 30 towards a. vertical. position and to thus maintain the shoulders 33 at a predetermined minimum horizontal distance from the holder 10.

Thus, when recesses 54 are aligned with sockets 44, hangers 30 may be threaded onto fingers 50, or removed therefrom. If the bottom of the support is tilted upwardly and the recess in the lock strip aligned with the sockets, all the hangers will drop out. If the support is held vertically, the hangers may be removed one at a time.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A support device for a plurality of garments comprising in combination a substantially vertical holder provided with a forward edge and having formed therein a plurality of vertically spaced downwardly directed recesses having entrances to their upper portions extending to said forward edge, and a. plurality of garment hangers having upper cross pieces rotatably engaging said recesses and provided with laterally extending shoulders disposed below the respective cross pieces whereby said hangers are individually swingable about corresponding horizontal axes coinciding with said respective cross pieces, and an abutment located on each of said hangers between the levels of said corresponding cross piece and said shoulders and adapted to bear against said holder forward edge when said holder is in a vertical position to maintain said respective hanger at an angle to the vertical and said shoulders a predetermined minimum horizontal distance from said holder.

2. A support device in accordance with claim 1, wherein each of said cross pieces is defined by the upper section of an eye portion connected by a shank to the corresponding shoulders, the base of said eye portion defining said abutment.

3. A support device in accordance with claim 1, including means for releasably closing said recess entrances.

4. A support device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said holded comprises a first elongated flat member in which said recesses are formed and including a second elongated flat member, pin and slot means slidably connecting said members, suspending means at the top of said holder, said second flat member having transverse recesses formed therein movable with said second member into and out of alignment with the corresponding recesses formed in said first member to define unlock and lock positions respectively.

5. A support device in accordance with claim 4, including spring means normally urging said second member into lock position.

6. A support device in accordance with claim 4, including suspending means at the top of another holder.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 511,578 Beracierto Dec. 26, 1893 569,422 Main Oct. 13, 1896 867,996 McMillan Oct. 15, 1907 1,204,813 Murray Nov. 14, 1916 1,221,584 Patrick Apr. 3, 1917 1,611,397 Wells Dec. 21, 1926 2,069,263 Moore Feb. 2, 1937 2,205,922 Cravaritis June 25, 1940 2,468,526 Tusay Apr. 26, 1949 2,593,356 Smith Apr. 15, 1152 

